Police launch child welfare campaign

Cambridgeshire Police are launching a month long campaign today to urge the public to report any concerns they have for the welfare of children in the county.

The initiative aims to reassure the public about the police’s approach to dealing with reports of abuse in an effort to increase the number of people coming forward with information to protect the county’s children.

According to NSPCC national research 1 in 5 children experience severe maltreatment and 1 in 3 children sexually abused by an adult didn’t tell anyone at the time.

A detailed report concerning child abuse in Cambridgeshire was produced earlier this year. It showed that in 2013/14 there were 1,819 child abuse crimes recorded. Of these, 27.7% were sexual offences and 68.2% violent offences or those linked to neglect.

Police work closely with local authorities and other partner agencies to investigate and protect children in the county.

In addition to encouraging people to report concerns they have for children, police are urging victims of historic abuse to come forward.

She said: “We are urging people to be vigilant and report any concerns they may have about the safety of children. We all have a responsibility to protect children in our communities.

“All of the work we do has the child’s welfare at the heart of it and we are proportionate in our investigations. These investigations are not always about prosecuting people or taking children out of their home environment, often it’s about working with partners to support families.

“If you have concerns about a child’s safety please report it; you’re not wasting anyone’s time. Children can’t safeguard themselves, they need you to help them.”

To report concerns for a child’s safety call 101 or 999 in an emergency. Alternatively the public call contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000 or via help@nspcc.org.uk.

To keep up to date with the campaign people can follow Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s social media channels on Twitter, Facebook or search for CambsCops on Instagram.

The campaign forms part of the Constabulary’s Get Closer initiative which aims to communicate with the public about key issues in a targeted and creative way.